Koi
by Jo-9tails
Summary: This is the prequel to Elana-chan's and my fic, Sesshoku. This is a Ban ang Ginji get-together fic, way before the whole juubeiXkazukiXuryu muddle began. Can be read separately from Sesshoku. Enjoy!


_**Koi**_

By _Ninetails_

Disclaimer: Get Backers and Ginji-koi are all MINE. No really. I purchased them just yesterday. Too bad for all the diehard fans out there. They're all MINE to play with, nyanya!!!! (Gets smacked on the face with a book entitled "Copyright Infringement and _You_" and promptly passes out).

(After a few blessedly quiet and sane hours, author groggily wakes up with a mysterious bump on the head). Err... on wit' da fic!

à ------ 

Don't use the voice

Just don't

"Ban-chaan.."

I'm warning you, it won't work on me this...

"Ban-chan?"

aargggghhhhh!! I can do it, I can. Ignore him. I just have to shut down my temporal lobe or any other fucking lobe in my cerebrum and just ignore him.

"Ban-chaaaaaaaaaaaaaan...."

Dammit! Why the hell did I look into those eyes?! No! just ignore his chocolate browns that shimmer with a feeling akin to extreme joy... those brown eyes that melt my heart like... Ack! Dammit! Just don't turn them into puppy-dog eyes...

"Ban chan."

There goes my resolve

à ------ 

I sigh in defeat as a tare-Ginji happily glomps my left arm, my feet shuffling as we enter the small restaurant. As we sit down in one of the booths, I watch my blonde companion squirm around gleefully in his seat, finally able to feed a stomach starved for almost two days. He ordered a bowl of ramen and a plate of tempura along with gohan. I asked for a glass of water. After all, it _was _free. And with luck, it would be able to temporarily fool my hypothalamus into thinking I _was _full.

I prop my elbows on the table while Ginji talked about his earlier conversation with Natsumi-chan at the Honky Tonk café. I easily zone out on this and focus all my attention on him. I can almost never refuse him when he looks at me in a certain way. Not everyone knows of this weakness – and I like to keep it that way. People would be amazed at the depth of my feelings for my partner, with my misleading way of treating him conning them into thinking otherwise...

I've never been to forward with my feelings. I've always been an introspective man. Compassion was never an issue with me. And I've never met anyone like my Ginji. I remember the time my love and I first met.

(Flashback)

As I wander along the streets of Mugenjou, there came this feeling that everything in my world is now dull and dreary, and never will it be the same again. That's the Infinite City's effect sometimes, I've heard. Then Raitei came, and my world was bathed in his light.

(End flashback)

amidst my sappy thoughts, I see tare-Ginji giving me one of his adorable smiles. No one should blame me if I melt on the spot. I love how his blonde hair catch the early rays of the sun as we cruise in my car. I love how his eyes light up every time he sees me, and I hate it when they dull after one of his friends get sad. I even love his delectably confused look when he encounters a particularly mundane conundrum in our everyday lives which he has never encountered in Mugenjou. He goes to me for guidance of course, and I love how needed he makes me feel.

It's no surprise why I love him.

As the food arrives, Ginji finally notices the waiter serving only him and gives me a quizzical look. He cocked an eyebrow at the glass of water I was sipping and the only thing I could say was, "Cheaper this way."

He pouts in his chibi mode and I do my best not to go soft and coo at him on the spot. Damn. Ginji has a bad effect on my. But strangely, it doesn't really bother me. I don't mind it, being soft, ever since I rescued Raitei and had Ginji as my reward.

"Ne, ne Ban-chan, eat this!" he says excitedly as he holds his chopsticks out to me, noodles dangling and dripping on the table. "Err, baka, I can't take that much into my mouth!" I say, giving him a mild glare. He really didn't have to share. I wasn't hungry. Much.

He then ate a few of the noodles and again held the chopsticks to me. "There Ban-chan! Eat!" he said, a bright smile on his face. Damn. He could be very persuasive. I desperately try to get the hentai thoughts out of my brain as I gingerly take the noodles into my mouth, secretly thrilled at the innocent affection he shows me.

He continued feeding me, and I am touched once again by his inherent kindness. Someone this gentle should not turn into a heartless, guilt-ridden Raitei. An eternity passed, seemingly trickling by in the space of a heartbeat, and the last piece of tempura was eaten. By me, surprisingly.

I gave him one of my rare smiles as I rooted around for the remaining money we had. He gave me such a thankful grin that I brutally squash the miserly instinct I was steadily harboring.

I'd give all the money in the world for that smile.

Well... I get to keep 30 anyway.

At least.

à ------ 

We get in my precious Ladybug and decide to head home. Speaking of which, we better find money for rent, or we won't have a home. I drive quietly as Ginji fiddles with the radio, occasionally singing snippets of songs he knows.

I glance at him, unable to resist the temptation of seeing his smile, hearing his laugh, touching his ivory skin that...

"B – Ban-chan!" he suddenly shouts, gripping my shoulder painfully, sparks sending shocks through my system, as his widened eyes look at something at the windshield's direction.

Hmm... what the....? I belatedly remember that I was driving and noticed that there was an old lady quite slowly crossing the street. I slammed on the breaks and we skidded to a stop about a feet away from her. I glanced up. The light was green. Stupid old...

I looked at her and she gives me a stern look, reminding me of a shark zeroing in on its kill. I peek at my right to see Ginji giving the obaba a sweet teary-eyed, chibi-pathetic-look that I feel my face forming into a goofy... Urk, anyways...

I look back at the front to see the obaba smile slightly at Ginji, give me another withering look, then hobble onto the other side of the road.

Figures. My Ginji could melt anyone's heart even that fucking old witch doctor's.

"Ban-chan, are you alright? You should watch the road when you're driving. You could've hurt the poor old lady," he whined, tugging at my white shirt and giving me a hurt look.

I adjust my purple glasses, feeling an annoying twinge of jealousy as his chibi form continues to chastise me about the perils of a wandering attention. ... The heck?! I am now jealous of a toothless obaba?!!

I sigh and continue on to our apartment, pondering on whether to tell him how deep my feelings are for him, and how I could express the deepest secrets of my heart. I should have no worries. He seemed to trust me above anyone else, and always turn to me first whenever he's troubled. I have observed his interactions with Fuuchoin Kazuki and the other Mugenjou crew, and I know that his affection for me is more than his affection for them. Or so I hope it is.

Hn. My adoration really isn't that much of a secret, more like an open one. All our friends knew; Wan Paul, Natsumi, Hevn, even Juubei. He's quite keen, for a blind guy. I'm just thankful that they didn't decide to spill the beans to my Ginji, and opted to wait for me to make my move in my own pace.

That or they're gonna taste the full wrath of my Snake Bite.

I know a lot of people who would kill, literally too, to trade places with me beside my beloved. Good thing the Needle and Thread, and quite surprisingly the Uryu guy too, adore each other. They just don't acknowledge it yet. I think. Maybe. Moving on.

Natsumi has a crush on him, I'm partially sure of it. If the girl didn't make him giddy with treats, I'll.. I'll... well, she'd be sorry.

I am not afraid of her table tennis skills. I am NOT.

And Akabane...

I slammed on the breaks as we reach our building, tare-Ginji squealing as he thumped around in his seat. Damned fucking black-haired... I threw a cursory glance at my partner, seeing his pouty tare-face and thoughts of _that man _was quickly forgotten.

à ------ 

I sit around on our couch, smoking my second stick as I wait for Ginji to finish in the bathroom. I could now ruminate more on my thoughts. Darn confusing, complicated... I take a few deep drags on my cigarette and bring back my focus to the task at hand. I should tell him how I feel. It is unfair for both of us; him not knowing my deeper feelings for him, me not knowing how he really feels for me. I never really was an insecure man, but the not knowing part was driving me nuts!

I now try to organize my thoughts into planning how to tell him when he abruptly bursts from the bathroom and bounces over to me, uh, to the couch. Great. He's wearing his cow-print pajamas, complete with eared hood. He looks simply scrumptious (in my extremely biased point of view) in his get-up, and I gather all my restraint not to glomp him then and there. He then sits on the couch near my foot.

"I'm through! I love taking a bath, especially after we stay on the streets the whole day! I feel all cool and comfy! Hey Ban-chan, you could take the bed if you like!" he tells me, bouncing slightly on the sofa. I can't keep a smile off my face as he chattered on about the day's events. Then I sigh. Business wasn't profitable, as usual, and Hevn was still scouting out jobs for us.

Our single customer was a little girl we met at a park who lost her oink hair tie, given to her by her father. We found it on a high branch, since a few kids decided to play a trick on her, and I had to climb the tree since Ginji never had the experience of climbing trees (he coerced me into teaching him how to do it one of these days). And the reward for my scrapes and bruises was a lovely smile.

Still spouting drivel about Kahlua-chan and her damned pink hair tie, I gather all my resolve and plunged in for the kill. Uh, nope, not _that _kill.

I hold up my hand and Ginji stops talking, giving me a quizzical look. "Ginji, suki da yo," I utter, my voice not _quite _trembling yet as I look him straight in the eyes.

His brown orbs grow wide and his chibi form hugs me for all its mini-mass was worth. "Suki da, Ban-chan!" he says gleefully, giving me a very wide, beautiful smile. I could feel a _very _wide smile forming on my face too as I return his hug.

"Arigato Ban-chan!! I was scared that you 're mad at me since I think I used up our money again but since you like me, you're not mad, right?! He utters as he bounced on the sofa. I stared at his handsome features.

Waitaminute. Did he think that...? Err, I think I didn't make myself clear. A sliver of fear now worms its way into my heart. He was the only one who has the ability to seriously hurt me.

I give him a light bop on the head and he pouts again, cutely. "Baka! Did you think I like you as in I like Natsumi or Kazuki?!" his stupidity amounted to another light whack on the head. I just like touching him, that's all. "I like you as in Juubei likes Kazuki or Shido likes Madoka or you like ice cream... uh..." I sweatdrop at the futility of my words.

He still had a confused look on his face, and I sigh. I scoot nearer to him on the couch and he leaned back on its arm. "Ginji," I say in a voice I never thought I could produce. It seemed to be full of affection." I like you as in..." I'm starting to hate this 'I like you as in' business.

"... I love you. You know, like how your whiney, annoying voice makes my crappy days seem brighter, or how 6your smile makes me want to hurt Akabane just because he _might _see it. I love you as more than a friend..." I seriously did not sound like myself. I sigh and lean on the back of the couch, my eyes drilling into his as he tried to sort out my senseless ramblings.

"So... you want me to be your koibito?" he tentatively asks, shyly smiling up at me, drawing his legs up and propping his chin on his knees. I sigh in relief, thankful that he isn't quite as naïve as I thought him to be.

"Hai, Ginji. My koi."

"So can I call you Ban-koi? Or maybe Ban-koi-chan! No, wait, itooshi is better, ne?" he asks, now in tare form. I feel my eyebrow twitch as he starts to guffaw, a vein on my head smarting at the sheer stupidity of the said nouns. I growl and tackle him for a vigorous tickle fest, my hands slinking into his shirt and tickling his waist as he laughs uproariously, uselessly fending me off.

I stop abruptly and he catches his breath, trying to give me a glare or a pout, I wasn't sure. He looks so cute. I drew even closer to him and tenderly hold his cheek, looking deeply into his wonderfully russet eyes. He abruptly sobers and a solemn expression now dominates his face. I am reminded of Raitei once again, almost never associating seriousness to my Ginji.

My hand then snakes up to his silky locks, taking a firm hold, then I pull him to me, brushing his lips with mine, feeling slight tremors somewhere I don't care to think about right now. We share our first kiss, the most wonderful feeling I have ever felt. His lips are petal-soft and tasted, predictably, like chocolate.

I savor the moment, a fleeting caress that signifies the union of our souls. I could hear him whimper as I pull back, the lack of air overwhelming my need for him. For now. "Ban-chan," he whispered as he traced my face with his fingers. "Eien ni ai shiteru."

There was nothing I could say. My world has now experienced a complete and wonderful transformation with him permanently in it. All the love I feel for him culminated onto one big grin... then he kissed me.

- Owari

à ------ 

Author's Notes:

Wheeeeeeeeee!!! Okay, it's almost 6:30 p.m. and I think I've worked on this fic for about two hours. Wow. I was inspired. Darn Zoology! Okay, non-sequitur there. Gomen. 'Nyways, I know that I never am at the top of my form, and now you know it too, so, sorry for the crappy fic. This is supposed to be a prequel to Elana-chan's Getbackers/Yami no Matsuei crossover fics (Sesshoku and Vacation). This is sort of a sorry-something to her since the fics I mentioned were supposed to be a collaboration. Well, I did contribute to the general idea, but she was the one who gave form to those wonderful fics so, all credit goes to her. I'm supposed to edit the fics too (which I already did), but I only have time for this short fic, so gomen Elana-chan!!! Maybe next week? Err...

And with the fic, I really can't think of a restaurant name, plus I'm not that familiar with most Japanese food so, sorry for the lame, uh, food. The apartment: well, I've only watched the series so information is kinda limited (plus I am too lazy to surf the net). I do not know how their apartment looks like, I do not know if they have a couch or a bed. The last GB fic I read was like more than a month ago (stupid college life!) and I have short term memory so I've already forgotten various GB facts and whatnots. Uh, psychological terminologies (however wrongly used they are) are products of my futile attempts in my Psychology class. Plus the plot is nonexistent, conversations are redundant, I think, and my poor excuse for a fic is really lame so... it's _your _fault, you read it! Okay, am I the only one who notices that my notes are starting to get longer than my actual fic? Ok, gotta go. Oh, btw, thanks to my reviewers in my Get backer fic Sesshoku!! (I would glomp you but I think I'd rather not, you might not survive to write another review, hehe...!) And reviews are really not expected so... How the heck do you make a smiley face work in the Document Manager?!


End file.
